Motion-picture screen.



L. 0. RATHER.

MOTION PICTURE SCREEN.

APPLICATION rum) APE. 21, 1914.

1,106, 1 l 1 Patented Aug-4,1914.

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Allowed f/Jdl l L. OLE/fiver, INVENTORI WITNESSES WfQ /M BY E ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE 0.. RATHER, or NASHVILLE, Tennessee,- ASSIGNOR TO Bonner n. WALLER, or

, nasnvrnnn, TENNESSEE.

1 1,ioc.111.'

Morrow-morons scanner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented'Aug. 4., 1914..

Applicatiodflled April at, 1914.. Serial no. 833.410.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it 'known' that I, LEE 0. RATHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a new and useful Motion-Picture Screen, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in motion picture screens,'an'd while useful as a screen for the projection of'other types of pictures than motion pictures, is

particularly useful in connection with the projection of motion pictures.

The object of the present invention is to provide a screen returning by far the greater portion of the light-pro ected against it to the eye Of the observer, so that the primary source of light may be less intense than here tofore without diminution of the brilliancy of the picture upon the screen. Furthermore, because of the intensity of the reflection from the screen the auditorium may be lighter than is possible with screens absorbing a greater proportioraof the light thrown against them. 1 r

In motion picture screens portability is of no moment, and hence it is customary to 'make the screen apermanentpart of the auditorium, wherefore the resent invention includes a supportingfmem or which may be in the form of a sheet of plate glass, and this glasssheetof appropriate size is backed up by a coating of a mixture embodying both reflecting and light'diifusing quahti'es, such mixture bein applied directly to that surface of the g ass remote from the ,observer, and which may therefore be called the rear surface of the glass, and because of the nav 'ture of the surface so produced it is pro- 'tected by coatings of resinous material re sistant to atmospheric conditions. With :such an arrangement the reflecting surface is perfectly smooth, giving a restful picture "to the eyes, whilethe cost of production'is relatively low and no distracting reflections are present." Furthermore, the light ab:- f sorted by' the screen is to slight new be. negligible, and the reflection 1s so nearly complete as to permitthe use of a less intense primary source oflight, and, as such source is customarily an electric arc, the use of the screen results in a saving of current consumption.

The invention will be best understood from. a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding'that while the drawings show a practical form 'of the invention, the latter cordance with the present invention but with the proportions exa gerated.

Referrin to the rawings there is shown in- Fig. 2

priate size for the purpose. Such a sheet of glass'has' plane surfaces free from irregularities, and iseminently adapted for the purposes of the invention. Applied to. the

is not confined to any'strict conformity with: the showing of the drawings, but may be fragment'of asheet l" of plate" glass which may be considered as of approrear face of the plate glass 1, that is, the 4 face remote from the observer, is a'coating 2'which by reference to the second rectan le from the top of Fig; 1 is composed o a mixture of aluminum or 14; karat 'gold, with whiting and lue to an initially paint-like consistency. ither the aluminum or the gold is in finely divided condition, and an equal amount of whitingyp'referably French whiting, is mixed therewith. These two ingradients, that is, whiting and either alumi 'num' or old, are thoroughly incorporated with su cient 'glue'to form a mixture on about the-consistency of ready mixed paint and such mixture is coated upon'the back. 0

the-plate glass-sheet 1, and is allowed to dry.

- llhe application of the of the plate glass may some the consistency of the coating is such coating to the back be made by a brush,

asto flow easily with a brush. After the first coating is dried a coatingl of shellac is applied. This is useful in preventing any sweating of the first coatingin which glue is-present bindingthe materials together, for such sweating would tend to cause the first coating to peel ofi'.' lln order to more perfectly protect the coating there is applied a final coating 4 of varnish, which acts as a preservative and, of course, this final coating of varnish is likewise permitted to before the screen is put into use.

- lhe surface of the screen is perfectly smooth and is not'subject to weather conditions, and cannot'wrinkle and is, therefore, particularly-pleasing to the eye of the beolder when a pictureis projected upon the screen." Moreover, the screen has proven I in actual practice-to reduce theele'ctric curl face of, the

'gives a rent necessary for a projection otthe pictui'es to about one-half of that required for cloth and other screens, and is free from the disagreeable reflections found in so-called mirror screens.--.Because ofthe glasssugport it can be wiped ofiwhen'dusty with a clothnor sponge.

amp

i 'l he'improved'scre'en can be sold fornot cost of mirror much more than half the Actual tests pere arc lamp is suilicient for the production of bri ht pi cturesat a distance of one hundred f cet-this being a saving of nearly fifty percent. .in current I ver that necessary for theillumination of jected upon other screens. I p

f The metal incorporated in the first coating turning a great-mass of the light to the eye cl the observer, but these surfaces are so minute that no disagreeable glaring reflec- ,tions can' occur. Moreover, there is also interspersed throughout the reflecting surbv the whitin so v w holly the didusing action of the particles represented prevented by great multitude of particles of whiting, and

- thecombined mass of light-refiecting and .difiusiui particles, while breaking up all noiticeab e reflections, at the same time do actually return the light to the eye of the beholder'almost as completely as would be the tease with "a mirror. 'While the metallic content'of the composition has a grayish or y'oldentint in accordance with the metal niployed, the whitin returns thewhite lightsalmost complete y, since whiting is rna'rlnedly white.

p The combined constituents oil the composition therefore impart to show that a twenty-five am' he picture when pro- I multitude of reflecting surfaces re-' screen many minute difiu'sive the visible surface of the screen a tint slightly reduced from a glaring white and wholly free from the disagreeable brilliancy of a smooth metallic reflecting surface, so that the eye of the beholder is not strained or tired either b. an intense white of the high lights or isagreeable'reflections coming from a broad extent-of metallic reflecting surface. Theamount of light, however, which reaches the eye of the observer is notnoticeably reduced over that returned from, a mirror surface, but the quality of the light is such as to be particulary pleasing to the eye of the observer. Because of the great amount out light reble absorption of light; a markedreduction incurrent consum tion is brought about without sacrifice o the brilliancy of the picture as seen by theobserver, while at the same time the eye of the observer is not fatigued since the quality of the reflected light due to and the whiting is particularly pleasing.

What is claimed is 1. A screen for projection prising a plate" glass support with a reflectmgbacking consisting of incoming offinely divided metal, whiting, and an adhesive. 2; A screen=for projection pictures comprising a late glass support with aing backing consisting of a-ooating of finely divided metal, whiting, the said coating being a ingot shellac and the shellac coatlngby a coatingof varnish.

A screenior projection pictures comprising a sheet of glass backed up'by a coatmg composedlof a mixture of metal powder, whiting, and an adhesive, and a'protecting coating of resinous material applied to the first-named coating.

I it. A- screen forprojection' pictures comprisin a sheet of plate glass of suitable sirie backe upby a coating composed of a mixture of fine particles of naturally light-refiectin .metaliwith equal'parts of'a fineliy divide white mineral substance, and an .a hesive for holdin the mixture of fine particles together an to the glass.

prisin a sheet of late glass of suitable size backs up by ture of fine articles of naturally light-refiectin metal with equal parts of a fineliy of fine parhe'sive: for holding the mixture sald coating tic-les together and to the'glass,

divide white mineral substance, and an a being backed upby a protecting coating of climatic and weather projection pictures com-v ate glass of suitable size fiected back from the screen and the negligithe presence of both the metal pictures comand an adhesive, 7 cked up by a coat-c backed u b a coal-in? composed of equal as m own, I have hereto affixed my sigheparts of ne y divided ight reflecting metal ture 1n the presence of two witnesses.

and Whiting mixed with'glue to an initial consistency substantially that of ready LEE RATHER v5 mixed paint, and a backing of resinous ma; W1tnesses: terial applied to the first named coating. G. COOPER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing PERRY Housm 

